The Stone Pillow: The Life and Times of Jona Lerman

by Arlene Kurtis and John Lerman

Book Overview

Jona Lerman's pious father is beaten during a pogrom when Jona is seven. From that time on he yearns for a way to defend his people and vows to become a pioneer in Palestine despite the objections of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967686903
• ISBN13: 9780967686905
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Globus Books
• Length: 227 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Precious Stone

The Stone Pillow is a personal account of the triumphs and tragedies of a family affected by large-scale historical events: Nazism, the Holocaust, World War II, and the founding of the State of Israel. This book describes the struggle of Jona Lerman and the other co-founders of the State of Israel to preserve, protect, and defend a land far away from a war-torn Europe and a discriminatory civil society. While accomplishing that goal might involve smuggling illegal refugees or hiding guns in a toilet, their eyes were always on the prize. At a deeper level, the book depicts a tangible shift in consciousness over the twentieth century. In the first chapter, when three Jewish men damage the ritual bathhouse in their small Polish hometown of Tomaszov (so that their non-believer friend Asher might be buried in a respectable Jewish plot), we may laugh at the fact that the rabbi and many others believed that God was the source of the "miracle." The reader of today would tend to uphold a more secular viewpoint, that is, to examine first whether or not other human beings have been responsible for the damage before attributing it to mystical causes.But the modern point-of-view is not to be necessarily taken for granted. Recent social thought has been affected by progress in scientific and technological knowledge as well as its evil twin, the misuse of this knowledge. Both human creations have, in large measure, propelled our belief system from a largely "God-centered universe" to a more secular, human-oriented frame of reference. However, this shift in consciousness does not mean that there is no middle ground between the two. Hence lies another interpretation of the ritual bathhouse story.Perhaps the three young men who did the damage were actually acting on behalf of God. While their impish behavior and self-congratulatory tone may reveal their desire to thumb their noses at the authorities of the day, it is equally likely that they may have had a "superior" understanding of Jewish tradition in contrast to the official religious arbiters. While the truth can never be known, this seeming parable makes it appear likely that God could intervene indirectly in human affairs through the medium of concrete individuals who may or may not be divinely inspired, and with or without their complicity.While many Jewish thinkers have traditionally believed that the Jews ought not to return to Israel until the Messiah is present, Jona Lerman and other practical-minded individuals nevertheless decided that they must make a home in Palestine before the Messiah's arrival. We will never know whether the founding of the State of Israel was part, or will be part, of a divine plan (as some believe) or whether its founding was a solely human creation. From a religious perspective, what is even more elusive is discovering whether and how concrete individuals contributing to this effort may or may not be working God's will. But from

A Rewarding Emotional and Cerebral Reading Experience

Israel's problems and dilemmas are begging for solutions that seem just out of reach. THE STONE PILLOW is a memoir of Jona Lerman who, in 1934, left Poland and went to Palestine to help recreate a Jewish state. His experiences in the defense forces and as a laborer are related in a compelling human drama that move beyond the historical content, and the reader begins to understand the devastation wrought by religious fanaticism, territorial disputes, and the hostile feelings of Arab foes and friends. Jona proves to be a selfless, ingenious man who made "penny soup" out of wilted greens, carried 80-pound sacks of flour on his back to help feed the hungry during the 1948 siege of Jerusalem, and who remained devoted to Israel even after coming to live in the United states. THE STONE PILLOW is an entertaining and thoughtful saga, masterfully written by Arlene Kurtis, who translated Jona's memoirs into a gripping, timely narrative.

A wonderful story about a man who helped build a country

In a time when the entire world was locked in the turmoil of World War II and all attention was turned to the unspeakable acts that the Nazi's were committing, a group of pioneers built a country. This book tells a story that is seldom told... one which needs to be remembered and applauded. A handful of people held together by a common belief built a nation which stands today as an ongoing symbol of Jewish pride. When I read the story of this man, I was able to understand the struggle to build a nation and the bond that they maintain with it to this day. The Stone Pillow serves as a tribute to a man who has led a remarkable life, endured so many hardships, and lost so much... but was able to endure and give birth to a family, a country, and an ideal (Zionism) for generations to come.

A Wonderful Inspirational Life Story

The Stone Pillow is an interesting biography of Jona Lerman, a Jewish man whose life story spans some important events of the 20th Century. Born into an orthodox wealthy Jewish family in Poland in the early 1900's, he chose to go to Palestine as a pioneer to help establish the Jewish State of Israel. While there he fought in the Haganah, married and had two children. The family he left behind in Poland were killed in concentration camps. Almost devestated when his son contracted Polio, he brought his wife and children to the U.S. to avail his son of the latest treatments. The trials and tribulations of the Lerman Family as immigrants in the U.S. are climaxed by Jona's return to Israel to fight when the country went to war. Co-author Arlene Kurtis did a fine job of making this book interesting reading for all ages. From seniors who have lived through this period of time, to young students who need to learn more about the difficulties of the century, all will find this book very stirring. I enjoyed reading it very much.